1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a method, system, and program for using a virtual environment to provide information on using a product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certain products have the ability to alter a person's lifestyle and quality of life. For instance, medical devices may relieve a person's suffering from a medical condition and prevent the condition from interfering with the person's daily life. One such lifestyle altering medical device is an insulin pump used by diabetics, such as the insulin pumps manufactured by Medtronic Minimed, Inc. An insulin pump comprises a small portable unit, similar in size to an electronic pager, that is fastened to the patient's belt or clothing. The pump delivers micro-drops of a fast-acting insulin throughout the day at an insertion site on the patient's body. With an insulin pump, the diabetic does not need daily insulin injections. Further, the insulin pump includes readily accessible controls that the diabetic may easily use to adjust the dispensing of insulin before engaging in an activity that may affect the blood-sugar level. The insulin pump provides the diabetic the freedom to eat, exercise and engage in various life activities at-will when and where they want.
One challenge for product marketers is to convey to potential customers the benefits of such a lifestyle altering product. Marketers have numerous ways to communicate information, such as brochures or advertisements describing technical details of the product, satisfied customer testimonials, etc. However, these prior art marketing techniques are typically inadequate to provide the target customer with an understanding of how the promoted product can dramatically impact and improve the daily life of the target customer.
Medical device distributors have provided customers with computer games to educate the customer on a particular product or therapy. Although such computer games use an interactive entertainment medium to inform patients of a therapy or medical product, especially adolescent patients, such games are generally limited to using entertainment activities to provide information during the course of the game play. Such computer game oriented marketing efforts are often inadequate to convey to the potential customer an understanding of how the medical device or therapy will dramatically improve the customer's quality of life and lifestyle.
Notwithstanding prior art techniques for communicating product information to potential markets and customers, there is a need in the art for improved techniques for making potential customers aware of the lifestyle and quality of life changes that will be realized from a particular medical therapy or product.